Winter Wind
by celticvampriss
Summary: She was the wind on his cheek, the whimsical and odd girl,...and his best friend. The goddess of wind. Runa. A story of Loki and growing up on Asgard and his relationship with Runa. Starting from childhood and working, hopefully, to Avengers. LokixOC K for now, will be M later.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: So, I'm on an Avengers kick. Mainly Loki. Been reading a few stories out there and really wanted to write one. It's been difficult though, and I am really not sure if I'll continue this particular story for long. I have at least three chapters for it though. Will be rated M later on, but for now it is very kid friendly. The idea is to have a few chapters of Loki's childhood, teenage years, adult through Avengers stuff. Not sure how far that will go. But really, I couldn't resist a young Loki. Ah, he's so cute. Or at least, that's how I saw him. As far as aging, i know that they probably age differently in Asgard, but for the sake of sanity and clarity let's just say they age like us and go through all those phases and what not. My OC is the goddess of wind. Runa. It's a romance between her and Loki as they grow up together. Sort of cute fluffy stuff for the most part. Blah. Anyway. Hope you enjoy it. _

_I don't own the Avengers or Loki or any of that. Just my OC Runa. You know the drill. _

ONE

It was to be that sort of day. He knew before his eyes could open to the morning. Knew as his conscious mind recognized the voice calling to him.

"Wake up, brother. How can you still sleep?"

Loki opened his eyes, refusing to move. "Because I'm tired." This sparked a chuckle from his brother as the blanket was torn from his body. Loki sat up, glaring. "Get out of my room."

Thor never did understand the difference between a joke and an order. "Dress quickly. I'll not be telling father I was late because I had to get you up."

Loki caught the leather pants and jacket Thor threw, pulling them from his face where they had smacked him. "Then why come get me at all?"

This seemed an unreasonable question to an eleven year old Thor, who only smiled all the way to his blue eyes. "Because this is more fun." Thor was gone before he could be hit by the pillow, which landed on the floor harmlessly. Loki wished he could muster the same enthusiasm. He slipped from his bed and began to dress, but he did so at his own snail's pace. Thor might be happy about a day like today, but Loki had not been looking forward to it. When checking his clothes and fixing his hair, Loki did so with precise attention to detail. The day was important whether Loki was happy about it or not.

When he finally emerged downstairs, Thor had already finished breakfast. He chatted to one of the servers, keeping them from their chores with high energy predictions as to how the day might unfold. Loki took his seat and had just started to arrange his plate; it had not even been half a minute. He was already in trouble.

"Why are you just now coming down to breakfast?" His father sat at the head of the table and Loki glanced up meekly as he set down a piece of bread.

"I was getting ready, father." Loki spoke to the table. He did not like facing his father when he was in trouble. This meant he saw very little of the man's face, but he didn't need to see the piercing stare when Odin's voice was harsh enough.

"And you look very handsome." Frigga gave him a warm smile, which he did not acknowledge. "You both do." She stated, but Loki sensed his father wasn't finished.

"From now on you shall give yourself adequate time for dressing." He scolded.

"But I made it a point to look presentable." Loki argued, and then pointed at Thor's shirt. "His buttons aren't even aligned." Thor looked down at his shirt at the comment, beginning to undo them.

"Never mind what your brother does." Odin barked. "I am not speaking to him, am I?"

He sighed. "No."

Odin looked at Thor as he fumbled with the buttons. "Make sure you are decent before you leave your room."

"Yes, father." Thor replied, finishing up the buttons and smoothing his shirt. Loki bit into the now cold piece of bread and butter. Thor's folly goes unnoticed, but Loki had to be scolded before he could even eat his food. He only had time for the one piece of bread before he and Thor were told to stand and follow their father. Loki stuffed another piece of bread into his pocket as he jumped from his seat. He'd not eat it in front of anyone, but he was surely not going to go hungry until lunch.

Thor was at Loki's side as they walked. He had been through this all before, but today would be Loki's first day of training. "I have been waiting for this day. We can practice together, like we do in the yard. I can show you all the good moves, too. You'll be ahead of everyone." Thor beamed and then clapped Loki on the back.

Loki tried to smile, but he did not want to say that he was nervous. It was the other children that he was worried about. "Do you think I'll do…well?" Loki looked sideways quickly, then his eyes fell back to his shoes.

Thor scoffed. "Are you serious? You're my brother, Loki. How could you not do well?"

"I don't think that being your brother is synonymous with success." Loki argued, and he wondered why Thor didn't consider such things on his own. Loki didn't assume Thor to be good in magic simply because they were related. Thor excelled at the physical. Loki had always been better at schooling. Now, he'd be expected to hone these abilities with the rest of the noble children. It was not a show he wanted to perform.

"Cheer up, gloomy. This shall be great fun. I promise you will have a good time. I have never had a bad day of training." Thor confided, as if his feelings would automatically be shared by his brother. Thor nudged Loki in the shoulder. "Get excited. You'll make it rain if your face stays that way."

Loki smiled. "If only."

They reached the training yard just behind their parents. It was a wide open pit encircled by rafters, carpeted by coarse sand and nearly seventy feet in diameter. There were already some children gathered, waiting near the center of the arena. Some were like Thor and had been in training for a few years, others like Loki and just starting. Thor ran to the center. He met his friends, a group of three boys, and began to chat excitedly. Loki knew them well enough, but he remained with their parents. Mostly, he knew that this day was not going to be a good day. He would try. Fight and learn with all he possessed, but that was rarely enough. Not when these things came so easily to Thor. He was going to be mocked, he was certain of it. And Loki hated to be mocked.

Already Thor picked up a sword and was twirling it about his wrist. Even the children not in his circle of friends were watching him respectfully. Loki felt his mother's hand on his shoulder.

"Why do you not join your brother?" She bent down so that Odin might not hear.

Thor briefly turned toward them, beaming. "You're missing the fun, brother. Come, try the lance. I think it might weigh more than you." He laughed at his joke, which might not have been meant in malice, but had no less of a disheartening effect. Loki looked at his mother.

"Do I truly have to do this?" He sighed.

"What do you mean, my love?"

"I mean, must I train with swords and lances? I can make up for my time here in classes. I'll do extra work. I'll live only for my studies…just do not make me go." He glared at the children. They were mostly separated into girls and boys. Girls would train with them for a short time, but only because of their rank. All of these children were gods or demigods or their parents were such. There weren't many of them, only about twenty children of varying ages.

"What's this I hear?" Odin stepped next to his wife and Loki looked at his shoes.

"It's nothing. Loki and I were just talking." Frigga smiled at her son, who mentally thanked her, and Odin moved on to speak to one of the father's watching the children.

"Hallimer, my good friend." He took the man's arm in greeting, both of their hands easily bigger than Loki's face. "I do not see yours among the trainees? She does start today?" The man pointed toward the edge of the arena, where the wall rose up to separate the seating from the fighting. A girl balanced on top, her feet bare and her hair flapping around her shoulders.

Hallimer sighed. "She is as she was born to be." He chuckled. "I cannot, for the life of me, keep her feet on the ground."

"Wind, wasn't she?" Odin clarified.

Hallimer nodded. "Yes. And she is just as capricious. But her humor is unmatched and no one is quicker to laugh. She is rather defiant at the moment. As you can see, it was all I could do to get her to come here at all."

Odin nodded, arms crossed. Loki sensed that his father disapproved of the girls' behavior. He watched Hallimer's daughter balance on the wall, fluid and light on her feet. She made it look easy. He wondered what she would do without her boots once the training started, and how she would fair wearing only a flowing dress and shoulder padding and some wrist bracers. She spun on her toes and began to walk again, looking toward her father. Loki averted his eyes, not wanting her to know he had been watching. Then he was ushered forward by his father's strong hand.

Thor had set down his sword and ran to meet Loki, ignoring the looks his friends exchanged. He smacked Loki hard on the back, grinning. Thor had talked of nothing but training for as long as he could speak. When he had turned eight, he had been up before the servants in anticipation. He assumed Loki was equally ecstatic and could not fathom otherwise.

A hush fell over the children, even Thor stopped talking, when the instructor arrived. A thick man with a plate vest and a scar running from his chin to his forehead. It disfigured his lips and his left eye, but not maimed them. The parents had left and now it was just them and their intimidating teacher.

The instructor looked out at them all and then his black eyes found the girl on the wall. "You." Loki threw his hands over his ears, the man's voice rattled in his chest and he feared for the girl. "Child, come here."

Runa jumped off her wall, ran to her boots, and scooped them into her arms before hopping along the sand to put them on as she walked. She nearly fell a few times, which sent half of the children murmuring and the other half giggling. When she reached them she stepped right up to the front, chin in the air.

"Yes?"

"We are beginning. Next time you will be with the others and properly clothed before I arrive. Am I understood, Runa, daughter of Hallimer?"

The girl wrinkled her nose and Loki thought she might protest.

"Yes, sir." She mumbled and then spun on her heel, hair flipping behind her, the ends tangled and windswept, and stormed to the back of the group. The other girls all had their hair pinned up and out of their faces.

Loki's attention was pulled from her by their instructor, Torgall, and their lesson went by with little incident. They were all given instruction on the proper hold for the blade and stance. Wooden swords were handed out for them to practice. The older students were to help with the younger ones. There would be no actual fighting that day. Their last hour was spent in pairs. Thor went to Loki without question, adopting his stance and waiting for Loki to do the same. When he did, Thor struck quickly, passing Loki's attempted block with ease.

Arm stinging, Loki shook out his hand. "This time you advance." Thor ordered.

"We're not supposed to be hitting each other." Loki hissed.

Thor laughed. "We hit each other all the time. Come on. Come at me." Loki let out a sharp breath. This was true; they had been hitting each other long before that day. Although, Loki remembered receiving more than he dealt. Loki lunged and Thor blocked and pulled Loki forward in a fluid motion, smacking him in the back as he switched their positions. He laughed again. "Good move. You need to keep your stance more centered. You're thrown off too easily."

Loki rubbed his back. "And how would you know? You're not the instructor here. Even with a few years on me, you're still the student."

"Irrelevant, Loki. I am trying to help you." Thor assured. "Now balance yourself." Heaving a sigh, Loki did as his brother said. "Very good. Strike." Loki did, this time with more force and was met with a face full of sand. He wiped his lips and eyes quickly, glaring at those that were now laughing. He looked back at Thor, anger blinding him to the spectators, but not deafening their snickering. Now Thor had an audience. Just as Loki had feared would happen, he was made to look the fool. Loki was finished with games. Concentrating, he prepared for another strike. Thor took up his defensive stance. Loki lunged, but at the same time waited half a breath. Thor dodged the illusion easily, his grin evident, but the real Loki managed to smack him sharply in the arm.

Victorious, Loki noticed that they no longer laughed. Or, mostly. One voice still giggled and he turned to see Runa laughing into her palm. Loki wanted to think her laughter was directed at his brother, but he was being scolded before he had time to think.

"We do not use magic in this lesson." Torgall boomed. "When you have learned to wield that weapon properly, then I might allow for those kinds of tricks."

Loki's fists clenched. Why not use his advantages? Why not let him use magic? It seemed unfair. Especially when Thor had not been reprimanded for hitting him. Thor was looking at him timidly, which only made the humiliation worse. Like Thor was wary of Loki's feelings.

"Go practice with Fandral." Loki spat. He moved to the outer edge of the group, standing alone. He cooled his nerves. Closed his eyes and tried to loosen his grip on the weapon. When he sensed a presence behind him, he spun and his sword lashed out, meeting her sword with a crack. Runa giggled.

"That was funny." She said.

Loki lowered his weapon. "What was?" He eyed her skeptically. She was an odd girl. He guessed that much about her. But she had kind eyes, a friendly smile, and soft features. He noticed a bruise forming on her pale arm, a bruise that might not have been there if she were wearing adequate clothing.

Runa set her sword point into the sand. "That trick. Thor had no idea." She giggled again. "Did you not see his face?"

Her laughter and easy conversation made him smile with her. She had been laughing at Thor, then. It was a nice change. Usually the other children hated when he used illusions or magic. They were all too frightened. Runa picked up her sword again and held it in front of her. "Shall we?"

"Shall we what?"

She huffed and then nudged him in the shoulder with her sword. "We are supposed to be practicing. And your brother stole my partner. So come on." She raised her weapon. Loki followed and they practiced the steps they had been taught, not actually hitting each other as instructed. Runa's steps were flawless, gliding on her feet from one stance to the next. Form wasn't an issue for her and she encouraged him to watch her and mimic her movements. He learned quickly through watching her and with more ease than he would have with Thor. She stepped forward and he retreated. He spun them to the left and she circled with him, swords raised. When doing the exercise properly, it was almost enjoyable. Runa met each swing evenly and she had even begun to laugh, making him smile. This was fun.

"You know," She in-stepped and he mirrored, just missing each other. "It's almost like we're dancing together."

Loki halted, their heads knocking together lightly. "I'm not dancing." He protested quickly, taking a step back and rubbing his forehead. "Especially not with you…"

Runa frowned, little nose scrunched. "Who said I wanted to dance with _you_ either?" Her sword point jabbed him in the arm.

Loki didn't know what to do. She had turned their fun into something uncomfortable. Dancing with a girl? He was only eight. What was she thinking? Loki rubbed his arm, which was now throbbing after all the jabs it had absorbed. Runa was truly lathered, dust swirling at her feet. Wind circled her legs and the ends of her long chestnut hair began to flutter. She crossed two skinny arms and stuck out her bottom lip in a pout.

When that soft breeze circling her turned into more powerful rushes of air, he began to feel it on his face. He held up his hands, sand stinging his cheeks. "Stop it."

Her grey eyes were venomous. "Make me."

Loki squinted, trying to keep his eyes covered. It only lasted for a few minutes before she calmed down. The wind stopped, at least, and she went from angry to sad in seconds. Loki removed his hands just as Torgall was on them. He waited for the lecture, knowing that this would somehow be his fault. Instead, Runa was given the sharp look and booming reprimand.

"Did I not say that magic was not permitted?"

Runa kept her arms crossed, little chin raised in defiance. "He started it. He was being rude and I got angry."

"I do not care what your reason, you must control yourself or your parent will be informed and you will be removed from my instruction." He towered over them and then Loki received some of that stare. "Both of you need to tread carefully. I do not put up with insolence for long." He turned and left them. Loki waited until he was far enough away before glaring at his sparring partner. The stupid girl had gotten them both in trouble.

"I told you to stop." He seethed. "Look what you did."

Runa kept her back to him, glancing over her shoulder. "This is really your fault, you know. You were the one being mean."

"Only because you had to go and start talking all…girly." He whined.

Runa spun around, eyes livid. "I am a girl, you daft idiot. Maybe _you_ ruined everything by being boy…ish." She growled. "I'm not speaking to you anymore."

Loki narrowed his eyes. "But you just were."

She kept silent, forcing her back to him again. She didn't speak to him for the rest of the lesson, which he didn't understand. When Loki left he tried to say goodbye, but she was gone before he could. She kicked off her boots the instant the lesson ended and raced for the exit, not even waiting for her father. Thor slung his arm over Loki's shoulders. His arms were sweaty and Loki winced. The smell wasn't exactly sweet.

"Was that not one of the best days of your life?" Thor asked. "My first day was nearly that. Or maybe it was the time I beat the oldest boy, Gendrick, in practice on my third day." Thor's comments seemed to be more for his friends than for Loki. He didn't answer Thor, but he considered the original question. The day was far from the best, but, to his surprise, it hadn't been the worse either. "I bested Fandral and Hogan seven to six…" Thor continued to relate the events, encouraged or contradicted by his friends. Loki left them in the main hall of the palace and went to his room. He needed to change his clothes, his current attire full of sand and dust. Their book lessons would be starting soon, schooling he actually looked forward to.

Tomorrow he'd have to return to the arena. Runa would have to return, too. Loki hoped she would be talking to him again by then. If he was stuck with Thor for a partner he'd be kicked out of lessons most surely.

_A/N: So, hope you liked it. I think it's just so cute, him interacting with a girl at that age. Ah, so adorable. Oh, and he'll definitely hit his charismatic nature as a teen. I don't have him like that now because we are rarely the exact same people at that age. I like him a bit more shy or uncomfortable around her. When they're older and more familiar with each other, the flirting will definitely start. ;) Again, hope you enjoyed reading. This story isn't anything too serious, just a bit of fun because I cannot get Loki out of my mind and have to do something creative with him besides watch him in Thor and the Avengers over and over again. Sigh. Thanks for reading. ^_^_

_P.S. Any facts or information I might have gotten wrong...yeah, sorry. I'm not overly familiar with this genre, just the movies. I figure some of it isn't totally believable for Asgard or what not, but hey, I'm lazy and it makes the story work. Just saying, I didn't do a lot of research and i am seriously only writing this for fun. I'm sharing it on here in case others might find it interesting or cute, just as I do, to read about him in these situations. ^_^  
_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Ugh. My computer isn't working again, so I'm uploading this on my husband's computer. Thankfully, I saved the document to a flash drive. Anyway, more cuteness in this chapter. I sort of love the dynamic here, but that might just be me. I think I made my OC British for some reason. I don't know why, maybe because the actor who plays Loki is British. Oh, and I had this idea for a while, but in an interview Tom Hiddleston (Loki) said that, 'If Thor is a rock, he wanted Loki to be the wind.' So, just sort of fits with my story I guess. Felt cool to hear him say that. Anyway, hope you like the chapter. ^_^_

TWO

Runa did return. And was speaking to him. As Loki waited for the lesson to begin, she approached him. Her boots were already on and she wore real padding and leggings, her dress still poking out in the gaps. Her hair was pulled into a messy braid, most of it escaping and lining her face.

"You never did tell me your name, you know." She had stalked up to him, stepping into his space immediately. As if they were the closest of friends. Loki opened his mouth to reply that he was a prince and she should know who he is, but she cut him off. "I know you, already. Loki. You can call me Runa, if you want."

"Okay." He replied. His dealings with other children had been limited. Particularly forward girls even less so. Loki kept his eyes forward.

"You can be my partner again, too." She leaned her head forward, trying to see his face. "Are you shy?"

"What?" He snapped. "No."

"Oh." She leaned back. "Because you look shy. And you act shy. Usually that means you're shy."

He ground his teeth. "I do not act shy. I'm talking to you, aren't I? I'm a _prince_, why in Valhalla would I be shy?"

Runa shrugged. "It was just an observation. I don't see what being a prince has to do with it. It doesn't make your brother less of a show off."

Loki glanced at Thor, who was attempting to balance the hilt of a sword on his nose. "He's not…a show off. You can't talk about him like that."

She laughed. "But he is a show off. It's just a fact. I'm allowed to have opinions."

He was getting rather irritated with her. She spoke so casually about him and Thor, like she was their equal. He was about to say as much when she spoke quickly.

"That's why I like you better."

"Me?" He had never heard that before. Someone who preferred him to Thor, he forgot that he was annoyed.

"Yes you. I like you much better because you're not a show off. And you're funny. And your eyes are much better." She considered, staring at him very pointedly. "And hair. Your hair, too." Her hand went out as if to touch his head, but he stepped backward.

Loki was frowning, completely confused as to what she was talking about. "My eyes and hair?"

Runa sighed. "Do try and keep up. I can't explain everything to you."

He really did not feel he deserved that. She was the one being unclear. It wasn't his fault. Thankfully, Torgall had entered the arena and he was saved from further conversation. The lesson began and that day they had very little time for sparring. When it was over, Runa didn't run away. She plopped right down in the sand and began to unlace her boots.

Loki kneeled beside her as the other students began to leave. "Why do you like your boots off?"

She slipped her bare feet out and began to tie the laces together, throwing the pair over her shoulder. "Why do you like them on?"

A stupid question. "Because I'm out of doors. Because it's the proper dress to wear shoes." He argued.

"Well, I hate them." She began to unbuckle herself, removing the padding and bracers to place them in a bag. When she was finished she was in a simple cotton dress, the top of it clinging to her frame while the bottom was loose and billowed out around her knees. "Hey. Do you like to climb?"

Loki didn't have a particular desire one way or the other. "I suppose."

"Then come on. I've got to show you something." She raced forward and he had to run to catch up. When she finally stopped they were in the west gardens of the palace. He'd been there loads of times, more than she had he'd bet. He did live there. Runa leaned against a giant tree, its branches twisting up toward the clouds. She dropped her boots and bag in the grass. "Come on then." She began to climb. Loki, knowing he did have lessons in only a few hours, debated following. She hung by her legs from a branch, frowning at him.

"Well. Come on. You _can_ climb a tree?"

"Of course I can." He shouted.

"Prove it then." She countered, not caring in the slightest that he dress was hanging down her waist. Her mother, it seemed, predicted such behavior and had made her wear tight leggings. Still, it was very unladylike in his opinion.

"I don't have to prove myself to you." Loki said, hand on the bark of the tree. He did think he'd have more fun climbing than going back and preparing for school.

"If you can't climb the tree, just tell me. I won't make fun of you." Her grin was impish.

"Are you goading me?" He smiled back.

She brought her arms up and swung back to sitting on the branch. "Maybe I am. But does it matter? You're going to climb the tree so just do it already."

Loki grabbed a branch and began to chase her, but she was much more agile in that tree. She seemed to fly from branch to branch, like the breeze that rustled the leaves. When they were near the top, Runa much higher than he dared climb, she situated herself in a 'Y' between two branches.

He sat down, too. The climbing had been fun, but he didn't see the point now. He was just up in a tree with nowhere to go. Didn't seem worth it.

"That was some fancy magic you pulled the other day." Runa commented. She picked at some leaves.

He grinned. "I'm not even that advanced yet. I can only handle those kinds of illusions for a few seconds and it can't go very far. It's still better than anyone else my age, as teacher says. Much more complex than any of one else my age can do." He lifted his chin a bit, mimicking her habit of doing so when she was angry or rebellious.

"Are you very fond of magic, then?"

"It's better than that sparring pit." He replied with a smile.

Runa laughed. "Magic is definitely more interesting. I do like the steps we have to learn in training, though. You see, I'm goddess of the wind and I can move much faster than any of the others." She sounded very proud of herself. "Hey." He began to notice that she was easily side-tracked. "Do you want to make a deal?"

Loki shrugged. "Sure, maybe. What kind of deal?"

"Well, I do want to learn more about magic, which seems to be your specialty." He tried not to appear too excited. She praised him so easily, so readily. He wasn't used to such admiration. "And, if I'm being honest, you could use some work with your forms and movements in training. So here's what I suggest: you teach me magic and I'll help you with fighting. I'm not strong, but I can teach you how to move like me. Your brother might be stronger, but it won't matter if he can never hit you." She seemed pleased with this arrangement.

"You really want to learn magic?" He said skeptically.

Runa spun in her seat, falling backward and holding herself upside down as she answered him. Strange and stranger. "I want to learn everything."

"You can't learn everything." He reasoned.

"Of course I can. I can do anything I want." She huffed, blowing hair from her lips.

"Not even _I_ can do anything I want." He argued.

"Well that's you." As if this was a valid argument. She paused. "Will you teach me or not?"

"Fine. I'll do it, but I don't want to learn silly girl moves. And you can't say that we're dancing." He fidgeted just thinking about it. "Okay?"

Runa giggled heartily at this. She nearly fell from her perch and had to sit upright. "You're so strange." She giggled some more. "Moves are not gender specific are they? What a queer way of thinking about it."

She was laughing at him, but Loki did not feel offended. He thought, for the first time, this is what Thor must have felt like when he laughed with his friends. They laughed at each other's expense regularly and they always seemed happy about it. Loki had never understood. If he was being mocked, it bothered him.

Their conversation was interrupted by a voice beneath them. Loki looked down and then leaned back with a groan. "It's Ullstav, looking for me."

Runa looked down, too. Loki watched his nurse call about, searching for him. Someone must have seen him enter the gardens or she'd never have known to look for him there. And she would never think to look for him so high in a tree. He wrapped his arms around a branch, holding himself in place. When she was nearer to the tree he grinned.

"Would you like to see another trick?" He didn't look at Runa, but he sensed her climb closer.

"Like what?" She whispered, excited. Loki waved his hand gently, causing the leaves on a shrub near the bench beneath the tree to stir. Ullstav turned on the bush instantly.

"Loki?" She leaned down. "If you're in there, you'd better not have gotten yourself muddy. I don't want to see a single snag or tear in your clothes, do you hear me? Loki?"

Runa snickered into her hand and he touched her shoulder gently, holding in his own laughter as he held a finger to his lips. "Shh." He whispered. Ullstav got closer to the bush. "Loki. Get out here this instant."

Loki waited, fingers twitching in anticipation. Finally, the nurse had gotten on her knees, looking into the bush. Then he closed his eyes briefly. Conjuring the image in his head, he pictured a dog leaping from the bush. His image did just that, barking like mad. He could only conjure the illusion for a few seconds, but it was enough to send the nurse head over feet backward in alarm. Runa fell against his shoulder, laughing into her hand and a tear rolling down her cheek. But she was too loud now. Ullstav heard her and stood up, eyes livid.

"Insolent little imp!" She squinted to see them through all the branches. "Do not make me get your father, Loki. I mean it, I've enough of your little games."

Loki stopped snickering. "I should go." He sighed, beginning to climb down. Runa reached the ground first and as her feet hit land Ullstav stared. She had not expected a lanky girl to appear first.

"Another one." Ullstav said. Loki dropped to his feet next to Runa. "How wonderful. Two mischief makers. What is your name girl?"

"Runa. Hallimer's daughter." She said, chin high. Loki thought it brave, to speak to an adult with such confidence.

"And you think him funny do you?"

Runa looked at Loki, grey eyes dancing. "I think him a lot of things." He didn't know why her cheeks were so red, but she stared at him all the same.

"Hmph." Ullstav narrowed her eyes. "I see. Let's get you home." She grabbed Loki's arm and jerked him along. "I will be speaking to your parents, Runa. Make no mistake." Loki waved a hurried goodbye as he was whisked away to receive punishment. Runa waved with a curl of her fingers and then he couldn't see her anymore.

"Made a new friend have you?" Ullstav asked her pace slowing and grip loosening.

Loki hadn't thought of it like that. "Maybe. We made a deal together. Guess that makes us friends."

Ullstav nodded. "She's a cute one. Bit wild, though."

Loki wrinkled his nose. "Uck. She's not cute."

He was fully released now and Ullstav chuckled. He might have made her life very difficult, always disappearing or pulling small pranks, but she did seem to care about him. Suffered through it with more patience than most could claim. "I'll be asking you that question again in a few years." She said cryptically.

"So?" He huffed. "My answer won't change. She's weird more than anything."

"We'll see."

Loki had no idea what the nurse was talking about. Runa was a silly girl and likely to never really be much more than that. Cute? He could turn his breakfast just thinking it. She wasn't ugly, mind, but he really couldn't see past the messy hair and bony limbs. And the averse to shoes? No, Runa was more confusing than she was cute.

_A/N: I adore Loki's 'girls are icky' moments. Haha, I just think it's adorable. Might age them up a few years in the next one. Make a couple pre-teen chapters. Thanks for reading. ^_^_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Moving right along at the moment, the writing part. More cute moments, moving down the timeline. Hope you like. ^_^_

THREE

"Shh."

"You shh."

Loki sighed, took two fingers, and pinched the girl's lips shut. "You're going to get us caught. Now hush."

When he released Runa's mouth she nipped at his hand, but missed. She might have argued further, but their target was approaching. The passage they were in was well hidden, but it was a tight fit. Loki put his hand on Runa's back, his mouth near her ear. "When I say."

Runa nodded, her heart pounding. She held out her hand, ready. Volstagg grew closer, a chicken leg between his teeth. He was unsuspecting and alone. Loki's eyes were on their target as he calculated. He could hear Runa's heart where his ear was smushed against her hair. "Now."

Eyes closed, Runa used all her will to conjure the illusion in her mind. When she opened her eyes, an abyss appeared to open in the marble floor and Volstagg, noticing the sudden void, tried to stop from walking into oblivion. The chicken flew in the air. His arms pinwheeled. And when he came crashing down it was on cold hard floor. The illusion vanished as quickly as it had appeared and he opened one eye, expecting that he'd be falling. Then he noticed the floor and pushed himself upright.

"What's the meaning of this?" He spoke to the floor, inspecting it. Then his eyes narrowed. "Loki." He searched his surroundings, trying to find them. A giggle made his head snap to their hiding place, but they were still unseen. "And Runa." He identified the giggler and bounded forward to try and find them. Loki had dragged her away, pulling her arm as she laughed into her hand. Volstagg didn't know the passages like Loki and he gave up shortly. Not that he would forget, but that he would get them back later.

Loki led her toward one of the south entrances, leaping out next to the granite fountains. He set his hands on his knees, Runa's laughter forcing her to sit on a bench. He shook his head.

They were twelve now. Four years since he had first met her in the arena. In that time, they were practically inseparable. And they were usually in trouble. They would snicker in secret corners or whisper in the shadows. Not always for schemes, although they found it the most enjoyable entertainment. He had been teaching her magic, as was their deal. And she had taught him how to move like her, like the wind. Unfortunately, he grasped her lessons faster than she could grasp his. Her magic was still rudimentary. But she had been practicing that illusion for a long time, and he felt the best way to learn was in application.

"Did you see his arms?" Runa asked, wiping mirth from her eyes.

He grinned.

"I think he'll be angry, though." She said, almost sounding serious. "We'll have to be on our guard. He knows it was us."

Loki stood up now, his breath recovered. "He knows what he thinks happened." He shrugged. "Volstagg is simple enough to convince. We had been in the library at the time, anyway." His thin lips quirked at the corners and Runa now shook her head.

"You conjured me too?" She asked, knowing that his plan involved a bit of duplication and making a point to be seen in the library at the time of the crime.

"Oh yes." He replied seriously.

Her eyes narrowed. "And what did you do to my features this time?"

Loki looked affronted, his hands on his heart. "Runa. What must you think of me to assume that I'd—"

"You cannot lie to me, remember?" She poked him with a finger. "Go on. What was it? Make my hair stand straight up? Or did you make my eyes too small?"

He didn't actually want to answer this question. He had played with her shape a bit…made her a mite less…stringy. "I might have made you…fatter…"

Runa jumped from her seat. "You did what?"

He recoiled, knowing that her wrath was soon to bite him. "I just thought…you're just so skinny…" Runa looked down at herself, her dress frustratingly flat.

"You little toad. I could kill you." She stepped forward and he retreated.

"You wouldn't, though." He said with confidence, although his hands were still raised in defense. "I'm your best friend. If you kill me, you'll have to be friends with Sif."

"I am friends with Sif." Runa argued. "And I might prefer her company to a rotten little imp like you." She sent a quick gust of wind to knock his feet from under him. Loki hit the ground with a thud, wincing. She bent down, nose touching his, her feet stepping on the small ends of his tunic, a leg on either side of his waist.

"If you kill me, I'd like to know how you plan to get away with it? My father isn't going to let my murderer stroll about the castle." Loki said as her hands grabbed his collar.

"A life on the run or killing you…hm? You know, I just do not know which I would prefer at the moment." She grinned evilly and released his shirt, backing away. "But I will have mercy on you. On one condition."

"I'm not wearing a dress." He said immediately.

Runa giggled despite herself. "No." She coughed and tried to be serious again. "You don't have to wear a dress. But you do have to apologize to me."

He eyed her menacingly. "Sorry."

"No. A real apology." She kept him pinned beneath her. "Repeat after me: Runa…"

"Runa." He hissed.

"I am truly sorry for being such a Bilgesnipe. I will never again alter your form in any way because you are the most beautiful girl in Asgard."

He shook his head. "I'm not saying all that."

"You have to or you'll die."

"Then kill me."

Runa crossed her arms, her legs straddling him and keeping him from leaving. "You'd rather die than say I'm beautiful?"

"I didn't say that." He didn't know why she did this. They were having such fun and then she had to make him feel…awkward. It hadn't been about calling or not calling her beautiful. He was generally against apologies when he had to mean it. And as good he was at lying, Runa always saw through him. "Are you upset?" She looked it, but she shook her head.

"Forget it." She got off him, huffing and letting him get up on his own. Loki dusted himself off.

"I am sorry, though. If I hurt your feelings or…" He let out a breath. "Or whatever made you angry."

She spun on her heel. "I'm not angry. Why…" Her little hands were balled into fists and he didn't know what had set her off. "Why do you have to be so dense? Thor is smarter than you."

"Hey." He glared at her, offended. Truly. That was a low move. "I don't have any idea what you're talking about. Why're you so angry?"

"Just shut up." She screamed and he flinched.

"Runa, what did I…" He let the sentence drift away because she had disappeared, her body no longer corporeal and impossible for him to see. He heard the stir of leaves nearby and knew she had drifted that way. But what had made her so angry with him? It was going to bother him the rest of the day, damn her.

Loki set off, brooding. She'd be back later, she always was, but until then he had to just sit with his confusion. He hardly paid attention to where he was walking and smacked straight into Thor. The older boy caught Loki by the shoulders.

"Whoa. Where are you off to in such a daze?" Thor laughed. Loki shrugged off his hands.

"I'm just walking. What's it to you?"

"Runa again." Thor reasoned. It was one of the few things that he noticed, as an older brother. "What did you do this time?" Thor sighed heavily, but smiled.

Loki shrugged. "I have no idea. I think she misinterpreted something I said, but she wouldn't explain."

Thor put a hand on Loki's shoulder, making him stumble sideways in the process. "It would take a man smarter than even you to figure out why women do these things." He offered, but Loki didn't find this helpful.

"Does Sif ever get mad at you? For no apparent reason?"

"Sif? Loki, I do not even pretend to know the reasons she is cross with me. Her mind works in ways I cannot understand—"

"Too complex?" He raised his eyebrows, hands behind his back. Thor made it too easy.

Thor paused, considered, and then held a finger in Loki's face. "Do not mock me when I am trying to give you advice, little brother."

Loki sighed heavily. "Then do not refer to me as 'little brother.'"

"But you are little." Thor reasoned, which only made it worse. "Just let her work out her anger. She'll return, as she always does, and it will be as if it never happened. Do not trouble yourself over these matters. You'll go mad."

Thor brushed past him. It seemed the simpler thing to do. To just let her stew in her anger and when she returned act as if it never happened. But that wasn't good enough. He cared why she was upset. How could he fix it or correct the situation if he didn't? Thor, he decided, was not the one to go to for advice in these matters. None of them were. Sif, possibly, but they didn't get along. He'd turned her hair too many different colors for her to want to help him.

Runa didn't return until that evening. He was in his room, reading. She appeared in the window. Her leg was extended lazily as she sat on the sill. "Didn't you finish that one yet?"

Loki put his maker in place and then shut the book. "I did. I'm reading it again." He commented.

Runa picked at her fingers. "So. What'd you want to do?"

"I want to know why you ran off earlier."

She huffed and rolled her eyes. "Do I have to talk about it?"

"Please." He offered, knowing that she was a gentle spirit and needed soft coaxing. Loki adopted an agonized face, lips frowning with worry and eyes wide with despair. It was needier than he actually felt, but Runa kept her eyes locked on him. He could see her breaking.

"Loki…I don't want to talk about it. I was just being silly." She was trying to sooth him. He fought a smirk.

"Nothing that bothers you can be silly." He replied smoothly, taking a step closer. He reached for her hand, taking it gently in his. He looked at her small fingers, nearly completely covered by his. "Please. Just—" When he looked up again, Runa was much closer than he anticipated. She sat forward and her eyes were staring openly. He let his jaw drop open, struck silent. Her shoulders began to rise, almost reaching her ears as she leaned and then she licked her lips. Just a quick flick of her tongue and his eyes jumped to her mouth. His heart was reacting to the situation. Whatever situation it was, for he had no idea what was happening. He'd never seen that look on her face. He didn't know what to call it. Maybe he had been too heavy handed with the pleading.

"Just what?" Runa's voice was low, a whisper. It made him fall backwards, releasing her hand as he tripped over the chair he had been sitting in.

Loki fought gravity for a second, his possessions almost jumping into his path to keep him from standing like a competent being. He tried to fix things as he fell and eventually found his legs working to hold him upright.

Runa watched this, eyebrows raised. When he was finished he was quite out of breath. "That was the most ungraceful thing I've ever seen." She said, monotone. "And I've watched new foals take their first steps."

He stared at her, still in his window. Words completely failed him. He was trying very hard not to relive that scene. To picture her face so close to him, the way she had licked her lips…

Runa chuckled. "Are you okay? You look…scared?"

"I'm not." He assured, but it was feeble at first. He cleared his throat. "I'm not scared. It was…I thought I saw something behind you. It was nothing. Just in my head."

Runa glanced behind her, still skeptical. "You sure? That was some performance there. I think you managed to trip over every object in this room."

He smoothed out his shirt and fixed his hair. "Very humorous."

"I thought so." She hopped down into his room. "But honestly, are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm fine." He snapped. "Can we just…forget all of that?"

Runa let out a breath of relief. "Gladly." She sat in his chair. "So then. What do you want to do? I won't be missed for another few hours."

He shrugged. "I think the others were planning on going to the arena for a round of night fencing. If you want."

She stood up. "Yeah. I think I feel like hitting something. You?"

Loki grinned. "Agreed."

Runa left through the window and met him in the hall. As they walked it was easy to get the conversation back to normal. The easy way he could talk to her was one of the best things about having her as a friend. That weirdness in his room, when he thought she might kiss him or worse, that he might have kissed her. That was all behind him. He didn't think of her that way. She was his friend. Just that. Just a friend. He repeated this to himself as they walked. Rather a pathetic lie, by his standards.


End file.
